Perry's regional appeal

Rick Perry’s solid performance in national GOP primary polling is built on the high level of interest in his campaign among Southerners, according to new Gallup data published this morning.

Under a scenario in which Perry, Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin all jump into the presidential race, Perry would immediately take a strong lead in Southern states, even as Mitt Romney remains the frontrunner everywhere else.

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Perry would start with 22 percent support in the South, compared with 13 percent in the East and 10 percent in the West and Midwest.

Romney would continue to lead in the Midwest (taking 17 percent to runner-up Michele Bachmann’s 11 percent) and the West (leading 24 percent to Bachmann’s 12 percent.) He’d essentially be tied in the East with Giuliani.

Within the current field of declared candidates, Romney leads in the South with 24 percent of the vote. But there’s an opening in the race for a more distinctly Southern regional candidate, thanks to Haley Barbour’s decision not to run and the diminished prospects of the Newt Gingrich campaign.